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Mar 30, 2013

Hello Everyone
I do hope you are all having a relaxing weekend, and finding some time to spend creating, I have been playing with my paints and crayons, making some backgrounds for future projects; nothing in mind, I am a designer who sits, looks and creates, a simple process really, though I have to admit I do spend waste quite a bit time just looking!!!!
Anyway, I did complete a card yesterday, that I rather like, it was nothing like I first envisaged, but then many of my creations end up this way.
I will go through the 6 steps on how I created my background;

1) I coloured up some Cardstock with water-colour oil pastels; blues/greens
2) Sprayed the same hues with dylusions inks
3) Stencilled a design with Archival Black.
4) Sprayed a little 'Biscotti' perfect pearls.
5) I dry embossed once everything was dry.
6) And last of all, I used my forefinger to dab iridescent Gold over the raised areas.

I had this moulded flower that I have been itching to add to a card, so I layered some Black organza and some open weave stuff (this is not burlap), it is wrapped around the Flowers that dearest one gives to me. (after what I went through the last week some are due soon I think!)
I just paint some gel medium over it before I die cut, it prevents the fibres from falling to pieces.

I needed to add some other elements to balance it out, so I opted for the buttons.

I found a new Challenge Blog this week that I thought I would enter with a great name: Card Makin Mamas -'NO PATTERNED PAPER'. I am assuming that when it states no patterned paper it means no purchased pattern paper, if I am incorrect then this is a non starter, perhaps I should have clarified this first. Oh well I can enter again another time.
So I thought I would enter the Charisma Cardz Challenge-'Happy Birthday' as well as I know it will qualify.

Mar 26, 2013

Hello Everyone.
Today I have a card that is embellishment free!!!
I am jumping from artistic madness to unadorned simplicity at the moment, what does that say about me? I was given a couple of Memory Box cut-outs of the Tulip... it is not a die-cut that you can place on an over-embellished card, because it is far too dainty, so I knew I had to refrain from over doing it on the card.
My first thought was to stick it on as is, but what was the point in that, I mean I have to have some satisfaction that I have least made an effort of sorts to make the tulip stand out in all it's gorgeousness.

As you can see I paper pieced the heads which I inked up in Dylusions 'bubblegum pink' and popped them up to create a 3d effect.

The White embossed border is Stampers Anonymous.

My background is Distress inks-Victorian Velvet and Peeled Paint.

The sentiment is Craft Secrets, after it was stamped I went around it with a White Pen.

Mar 23, 2013

Hello Everyone,
Do I have a story to tell you this week, it starts off like this....
Rob (dearest one) states "I am just clinging on to life here, I have toothache, earache, headache, and I am in a state of rapid decline.... !!!!!" He did continue in this vein for awhile but I think you have the message.
So I sent him to the dentist; diagnosis sinusitis, he came home with Analgesics and Antibiotics two days later and there is little improvement, clinging has been replaced by death bed, so off to the Dr next,
he says,
'The Dentist gave you the wrong Antibiotics, you need these ones'.
Two days pass.... still no relief, Rob thinks he should be in his coffin at this stage...." it's my tooth" he says, so back to the Dentist, he returns minus one tooth (extracted), now he cannot eat or drink his coffee.... I don't have to explain to you coffee drinkers what the fallout is when the caffeine is suddenly withdrawn, G.R.U.M.P.Y. ++++ as we nurses would say. The death bed is far from his thoughts now, it is purgatory he has entered and Pluto is having his day.
I encountered and endure believing time will do it's bit, but he does not improve, I am concerned (a little), I suggest he returns to the Doctor.
At this stage I just want my old Rob back, as this one lying prone on the bed is not a pleasant sight.
Back to the Doctor... A new diagnosis and this one seems to be the logical cause to all his pain.... TMJ or Trans Mandibular Joint Pain, most likely caused by stress, and probably due to his Dad passing away suddenly late last year.
Treatment, more pills and patience, the latter is alien to my dearest one, but I have enough for the two of us.
Not a great week, but worse for Rob.
This week will be better.

And here we are, another Saturday and that means another Challenge at Our Creative Corner; My Challenge I have set is an easy one:
" Music and Kraft".

I have used Spellbinders Die-cuts, layering them up and stamping music on one of them, and different stamps on the others.
The butterfly is Memory Box ( a gift-thanks Rosie) I threaded some beads for the body.
Added some music ribbon, and attached it all onto a Kraft card.

If you are inspired with this theme, then share your creation with us this week, we would love to see your interpretation.

Mar 16, 2013

Your Analogous colours sit next to each other on the colour wheel.
Choose one colour to dominate, a second to support. The third colour is used
(along with black, white or grey) as an accent.

Have a play, you will be surprised on the results you achieve.My primary colour is blue on my canvas.

I apologise at this stage that I do not have a tutorial, I honestly was so involved in designing on the day that it was consigned into oblivion, I will make another canvas at some stage and I will do a tutorial for you. But for now you will have to read!The canvas was first prepared with a layer of White Gesso, I know I am suppose to let this dry first before adding more media, but like many artists I am too impatient.

My image has been stamped with Archival ink on a die-cut heart and glued down with multi medium, I added a die-cut border on the top and some lace on the bottom, then it was a case of adding trinkets and metal things, along with the flowers in a design that I found pleasing.I now grabbed my dylusions inks-Bubblegum Pink, Crushed Grape, and London Blue, masked off the image and spayed away, to finish I sprayed over with Biscotti Perfect Pearls and once dry I painted the whole canvas in Multi Medium Matte.As you all know by now I love texture, and this Canvas has plenty.

The artist in me has to veer away from cards occasionally.

Have a play with Analogous colours, you do not have to use inks and get all messy, you can use paper or paints.

Mar 14, 2013

Hello Everyone.
My eldest daughter Nicole (Mum of Precious) married 7 years ago and I had a framed photo of her with younger sister. It was in a plain White frame and boring, so I had the brilliant idea to pretty it up and make it more special. I forgot to take a photo of the original frame, probably because I was too excited about decorating it.
But this is it finished.

There is a mix of flowers from hand-made to prima, I added lace, mesh, tulle and pearls, then attacked it liberally with Dylusions and White Acrylic paint.

There are a few hearts, leaves and a feather tucked in for some interest and texture.

Mar 9, 2013

Hello All
Once again I have a card that has wonderful texture, and I have created it by using Dylusions Inks and Distress stains, I used the metallic stains; Bronze and Brass on the Bg embossed layer. And on the top layer I used dylusions, Vibrant Turquoise, London Blue and Bubblegum Pink.

Our Creative Corner Inspiration Challenge and include some metal.

Our Hostess again this week is Meihsia.

My Flower is made from Metal and I have altered it with distress paints, then sanded back ever so lightly, for a change, instead of ribbon I added the Hero Arts twine to create the movement. I was debating with myself whether to add a sentiment as there is so much negative space and it was doing my head in big time! I was resolute though and left it, but .... there is always a but....I think it looks unfinished, I have a strong feeling that I maybe adding to this card in the future.

The shimmer has been created by spritzing Biscotti Perfect Pearls over the top.

If you would like to join us this week, then pop over to the OCC blog here, and browse through my fellow teamies samples and be inspired by their creations.

Thanks for looking, I appreciate your visit and your wonderful comments, have a great weekend.

Mar 3, 2013

create
your own layered creation using the tattered floral die made from any
kind of papers, materials, you name it. use any kind of inks, sprays,
paints, stamps, or stencils. it can be any kind of project from a card,
wearable, or mixed media…but it must use the tattered floral die. - See
more at:
http://timholtz.com/tattered-floral-challenge/#sthash.iz2Tz9vl.dpuf

Most of you will know by now that Tim Holtz has a Challenge going on inviting creations using his 'Tattered Florals' Die here, and as you can imagine it has drawn out the best of the best in the upper echelon of creators........ I love this die, and I make most of my flowers with it, I wanted to enter this Challenge very much, but when I perused through the thumbnails, I have to to be honest and say I was very intimidated by the entries... I thought this is way out of my league.
But on introspection I concluded that these people are the minority, and my work is pleasing to me and I hope inspiring to some, so with these thoughts I am entering this card, it may be overlooked, but at least I am giving it a go, as I really want to enter this Challenge.

I will take you through the process on how my flowers were made.

A selection of painted papers some are water colour and some are dylusions.

I cut the whole set of flowers out but I did not use all the shapes.

I used these two sizes using my balling tool to break down the fibres of the paper and curl them upwards, I now layer up glueing down as I go.

I have cut a petal out of one shape and two petals out of the next one because I am working towards the centre, this may seem backwards to many, and there is no reason why you cannot work from the centre outwards, whichever you prefer, it works both ways.

Keep going until you like your shape and how big you want your Flower.

I am stopping here.

I was trying to produce a Ranunculus flower, as the petals are often lustrous and quite beautiful.

Here I have finished shaping them and added the beads to their centres.

Arranging them was difficult, as the paper are not forgiving, but perseverance and wonder tape works together well.

My Bg needed to match my bouquet, I used Green as this is the palette of Nature.

tattered floral challenge…

create
your own layered creation using the tattered floral die made from any
kind of papers, materials, you name it. use any kind of inks, sprays,
paints, stamps, or stencils. it can be any kind of project from a card,
wearable, or mixed media…but it must use the tattered floral die. - See
more at:
http://timholtz.com/tattered-floral-challenge/#sthash.iz2Tz9vl.dpuf

create
your own layered creation using the tattered floral die made from any
kind of papers, materials, you name it. use any kind of inks, sprays,
paints, stamps, or stencils. it can be any kind of project from a card,
wearable, or mixed media…but it must use the tattered floral die. - See
more at:
http://timholtz.com/tattered-floral-challenge/#sthash.iz2Tz9vl.dpuf

create
your own layered creation using the tattered floral die made from any
kind of papers, materials, you name it. use any kind of inks, sprays,
paints, stamps, or stencils. it can be any kind of project from a card,
wearable, or mixed media…but it must use the tattered floral die. - See
more at:
http://timholtz.com/tattered-floral-challenge/#sthash.iz2Tz9vl.dpuf

create
your own layered creation using the tattered floral die made from any
kind of papers, materials, you name it. use any kind of inks, sprays,
paints, stamps, or stencils. it can be any kind of project from a card,
wearable, or mixed media…but it must use the tattered floral die. - See
more at:
http://timholtz.com/tattered-floral-challenge/#sthash.iz2Tz9vl.dpuf

Mar 2, 2013

Hello Everyone,
I love making flowers, and today I have made one out of some dyed fabric.

This week at Our Creative Corner, the meritorious Meihsia is our hostess and she has provided an inspirational photo and with the instruction to include a fabric flower and a crown on your project.
I have provided a little tutorial on how it was constructed as I thought you may like to try this out yourself.
First though this is what I had to work from:

And this is my card:

I attempted to re-create the palette of the torso, so I used the TH metallics (stains) in Pewter and Antique Bronze to create the Bg, with the intention of picking up the warmth and soft feel of the flowers.
Keeping within the light to mid tones, the muted hues have been 'grayed-down' to project a dusky and complex nature.
The embellishments are a mix of lace, burlap, a pin, bling, crinkle ribbon, plus you will notice round objects, these are buttons which have been altered with utee and distress powders.
(You can click on the picture for a more detailed look.)
The Tattered Florals die-cut flower was made with stained crinoline.
The fabric flower is in the centre, and this is how I made it.....

Dye up some calico in distress stains.

Rip a strip, not too wide and fold over.

Use a tool to to wrap around, then place on top of glued cardstock.

You may find it easier to use a glue gun if you are dextrous and nimble fingered, I am not and I have glue everywhere but where I need it, so I find this way is easier for me.

I made a few for future projects!

We would love you to join in this week, there are more fabric beauties that my teamies have made here.